Associate Feature: Bold action will secure a just transition

While many people – particularly in Ukraine - are facing immense and immediate dangers on which we are rightly focussed - the chronic threat of climate change has not gone away. 
We are in a critical decade for humankind, and we must respond to the visible realities presented by a changing climate and its impact on the lives of many millions of people around the world. 
At IKEA we’re continuing to step up our actions to tackle climate change, pursuing science-based targets, and working towards becoming climate positive by 2030 through reducing more greenhouse gas emissions than the IKEA value chain emits.

We want to show that healthy and sustainable living can be affordable, attractive and convenient for the many people – especially at a time of rapidly rising costs. Today, in the UK, our Buy back and Take back services, in-store circular hubs, and online platforms for second-hand products, are already supporting our customers to live more sustainable lifestyles, whilst helping lay the foundations for the circular economy that we will need to transition to net-zero.
However. we can only take this journey together with other businesses, governments, and the many people. Last November, we were a proud Partner of the COP26 climate summit, using our products to furnish and facilitate the talks in Glasgow and our platform as a global brand and business to drive awareness, action, and radical collaboration. 

Following the summit, we quickly donated nearly 5000 pieces of furniture and products to 57 charities across Glasgow and the wider region, supporting around 595,900 people, including vulnerable children and homeless people to live a better everyday life. 

The Glasgow Climate Pact was a significant achievement, and along with its supporting agreements on clean power, deforestation and technology, it gives us a strong base to move forward and keep the 1.5-degree limit alive and deliver a more sustainable future.

Following COP, the UK and Scottish Governments must continue to listen to the voices of the many people that were raised both during and after COP26, including many thousands of inspirational young people, who we must learn from and engage with. 

At IKEA, the discussions we have had in recent months, with politicians, business leaders and people from across society show the continued high levels of support for acting and driving positive change - even at a time when there is significant pressure to turn back to polluting fossil fuels and press pause on climate action, as a misguided means of alleviating the cost-of-living crisis.  

Governments must recognise the demands for continued climate action from businesses and society and make good on their commitments to show climate leadership and consistent policymaking to deliver the detailed pathways on energy, infrastructure and biodiversity that we will need to assemble a better and more sustainable future.  

We are in the most important decade when it comes to climate change and even if there are challenges ahead, we can build on the momentum of COP26. With bold commitments and actions from companies, governments and society, we have it in our hands to ensure a just transition to a net-zero future and create a better everyday life for the many people.

This article is sponsored by IKEA.